The Shuffle Collection
by Snarkiness
Summary: Series of oneshots all based on songs. Snape/Hermione
1. Hey

A/N: Yes, this is just what it sounds like. I put my Ipod on shuffle and challenged myself to come up with a chapter for every song, no matter what it is. It is a collection of AU oneshots, basically, that are all in the same universe but may not be in any sort of order. My apologies. Hopefully it works out...let me know in reviews! =) Constructive criticism always welcome.

_I wonder if she's here with someone?  
>A girl like that can get attention<br>__I could just go walking her way.__  
><em>_All I've got to do is figure out the words I need to say…_

Severus Snape brought the glass to his lips and tilted it back until the last droplet of the sweet liquor was drained. It was only his second glass, so he knew he couldn't blame the alcohol for his current thoughts…so what the hell was causing them? He stared at her from across Rosmerta's bar as he signaled for another drink. She was over there laughing with a group of her contemporaries, and he resisted the all-too-powerful urge to sneer in that direction. He hadn't seen the chit in the months since her graduation. She had filled out well in the post-war times that were upon them. As his drink arrived, he allowed himself a moment to puzzle. He often saw Potter and Weasley gracing the front pages of the Daily Prophet in various stages of their new lives, but he couldn't recall seeing Miss Granger more than once or twice. He hadn't actually taken the time to consider it before, but it was odd. He took a deep drink from the new glass and almost choked on it as she suddenly glanced up and caught his eye, her smile widening for that brief moment.

He turned his attention away, but was well aware that it was too late to take back that significant glance. The _I know you've been watching me for a while now _glance that she had bestowed upon him in the half second it had taken him to look away. Was he overreacting? Maybe the drink was finally kicking in. He needed to leave, he realized with a drop in the pit of his stomach. The sooner the better.

Throwing a sufficient amount of money on the counter, he rose to his feet and spun to the door, only to be confronted by a grinning Hermione Granger who was holding a half-filled glass of wine. When the bloody hell had she moved? Severus didn't find it possible that she could have abandoned her friends and conversation and made her way over to him in that sort of time, yet here she stood. He fidgeted automatically, shifting from foot to foot with the nervousness caused by her closeness. He couldn't think of a single thing that would get her to leave. She spoke first and saved him the trouble.

"Nice to see you out and about, Professor." Even the timbre of her voice had altered, he realized with a jolt. All he could do was nod as he licked his suddenly dry lips and fumbled for something to say that would get him out of here. In his rooms he was comfortable and alone, two words which fit perfectly together in his mind. Hermione, however, seemed to have no intention of being put off by anything he could possibly say, so he settled for a classic sneer and glare.

"Surprised the Daily Prophet isn't here to record the stunning front page of the brains of the Golden Trio gracing a pub," he snarked. Just the mention of their fame-given name flashed painful memories, and he regretted it immediately. She seemed to have no such compunctions.

"It isn't hard to avoid them once they've chased you for so long," she admitted, taking a final drink from her glass and setting it on an empty table. "Were you heading back to Hogwarts, then? I must confess I would love to see the place." She blinked at him, and he found himself swallowing air in a fitful attempt to rid himself of the sudden lump in his throat.

"Surely there are people just dying to give you a tour of your old stomping grounds," he drawled, his eyes targeting the door as she tried to reason the quickest way around her and toward freedom. Her grin widened, and she even laughed. Her laughter was so rich and full of genuine amusement that he couldn't help but be redirected toward her face, which was beginning to shine under the lighting in the building. He definitely needed out.

"There are, but none of them are here in such a convenient manner as you are right now." Her nerve was obviously Gryffindor bravado; it never left, he noticed with another sneer. Severus wasn't sure if he had decided there was no easy way out, or if he was actually tempted by time alone with her (Merlin forbid it be the latter) but he found himself shrugging.

"Very well, Miss Granger. I shall show you around until we reach the dungeons, and then I will leave you to roam as you will."

The fact that her smile apparently _could_ get larger did nothing to help his current confusion of mind.

_Ooooh, oooh  
><em>_I just need an introduction  
><em>_I keep coming up with nothing  
><em>_Why do I lose my voice and choke when all I wanna say is:  
><em>_Hey, hey, I've gotta be with you and  
><em>_Hey, hey, you're beautiful in every way, way  
><em>_What I need to say is hey, hey, and change the world in a day_

It had been awkward, to say the least, seeing as how he knew that she knew every faucet of the castle so there really was nothing for him to say. It hadn't change a bit in the few months since she had left, and the both of them knew it. Severus found himself wondering what her ulterior motives were; perhaps it was the Slytherin in him that looked for it, but something told him it was there. It was when they were heading down the final corridor of their evening that he could stand it no longer. When he reached his door and she turned to leave him, he called out to her.

"Why, exactly, did you ask for this?"

She graced him with that smile that was starting to get on his nerves. "I missed you, Professor." At his scoff, her eyebrows knitted and she continued in a more urgent fashion. "Really. You were one of the only regrets I had when I left here, and that hasn't changed with time. We misjudged you; all of us did, and none of us ever apologized." When he opened his mouth to point out that the First Class medal of honor hiding in his room seemed to say otherwise, she flicked a hand to silence him (and ignored his thunderous expression). "I meant personally. I wanted to take the opportunity to do so, and maybe even get to know you a little bit, but I chickened out. Besides, you're obviously…busy."

His glare only worsened at her flippant tone, but he felt something tugging in the vicinity of his chest. She seemed sincere, and it puzzled him. Could she actually have been concerned for his status? He must confess to not having thought of her at all, but it seemed as though she often thought of him. He swallowed uncomfortably once more. "Perhaps a cup of tea?" It was impromptu and completely unplanned by his brain, and he wanted to take it back immediately, but somehow the sparkle in her eyes and that somewhat less annoying grin convinced him to open his door for her.

Once inside, though, it was a different matter. An awkward silence filled the room as he poured the tea that had been sitting in his kitchenette, and brought it back to her in the sitting room where she perched on the edge of his sofa cushions. The fireplace was empty and sent forth waves of cold, so not even a crackle of warmth could fill the background. It seemed too obvious to light it now. Severus felt his eyes darting around as he searched for something to say that would make this go faster, but once again she beat him to the punch.

"Being a war hero isn't as glamorous as everyone seems to think, I've noticed." At his surprised look, she lifted up one side of her mouth in what seemed a self-depreciating smile. "It's rather lonely, actually."

He felt himself snarl. "And you thought that invading my privacy would make either of us less lonely, Miss Granger?" He was on the defensive almost instantly. Some things never changed. She sighed, rising from her current spot and setting the glass of tea on the coffee table.

"I hoped this might." Within seconds, she was perched on his lap and resisting any attempt that he (might have) made to throw her off. She pressed her lips to his, and it was clumsy and unprepared-and also questing, and gorgeous for its innocence. He felt a small spiral of hate for himself wind through his chest as he returned the light pressure and felt her smile against his mouth. This was completely wrong, in so many different ways. What the bloody hell was she thinking? At that moment his mind and his mouth couldn't seem to reach any kind of agreement, for all he did was move lightly under her control and part his mouth. It was when her tongue wound around his that he stood up, rudely knocking her off his lap and wincing as she hit the floor.

"I don't understand," he found himself admitting as he helped her to her feet. She rubbed her hip as she responded, making such direct eye contact that he almost wanted to look away. Brave little thing, she was.

"Everyone deserves a little happiness, and we are more alike than either of us realize. I just know we are," she told him firmly. He felt himself smirk, though for once it wasn't in a negative way.

"Such confidence," he purred, and was amused when she flushed.

"The world can change in a single day if we take a chance," she quoted from somewhere in her childhood. "Without intentionally sounding sappy, sir-we belong together, and I know it. I just have to find a way to show you."

He was taken aback, that was certain. He didn't dare to analyze anything else very closely at the moment. "Fast mover, aren't you?" he murmured with the intent to lighten the heavy mood.

"In the pub…I had this entire story all set to go when I walked over to you. And the moment you looked at me-I forgot every word of it. Everything just jumbled inside of my head-" he winced as she describe his exact predicament, "and I knew it was serious. And even if it isn't, well, it can be worth trying."

"You're insane, you know that?" he relented after a long pause in which her heart sparkled in her eyes. It was sickening, really, but what could he do? All she did was smile.

_In your eyes I see you're lonely…  
><em>_Look at me I want you only  
><em>_We belong together, this I know  
><em>_Just gotta find the words to tell you so.  
><em>_I had my lines, and story set  
><em>_You look at me and I forget  
><em>_These thoughts are running through my head  
><em>_Jumbled up and left unsaid..._

Credit: Hey by Matthew Morrison


	2. Far Away

_This time, this place, misused, mistakes  
><em>_Too long, too late, who was I to make you wait?  
><em>_Just one chance, just one breath, just in case there's just one left  
><em>_'Cause you know…_

People were staring at him.

It seemed they did that a lot, nowadays. Ever since the entire world had found out (thanks to Rita Skeeter) that Severus Snape was in a relationship with Hermione Granger. The following uproar had been, needless to say, quite amusing to watch. Even though they had both expected it, there had been a few disheartening moments. Hermione's family, who lived in the muggle world and didn't know who he was, didn't care. The Weasleys had panicked; Remus Lupin had only raised an eyebrow, but that small gesture held a world of comments unspoken. Hermione had held her head up and shouted them all down, but Severus hand't been sure it was worth it for her. She was resolute, and there was no changing her mind, and she was quite obviously happy. It just seemed to him that being saddled with an old man would bring down her reputation. So when the letter came in the mail that the position in the Ministry Hermione held high hopes for was suddenly unavailable, Severus had convinced her to take a vacation and think things through.

It had been an argument to erase all others in the history of the world. Many times he was forced to grit his teeth and simply stare her down in the hopes that she would miraculously see reason, and resisting the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. When Slytherin stubbornness meets Gryffindor bullheadedness, it is quite the sight to see. When Severus had taken a few long minutes to explain his point of view to her, she had relented in the face of his seriousness and logic. The fact that he had kissed her senseless had helped him along, he assumed. Now he sat alone in the living room of his Hogwarts quarters to pass the time, which he had far too much of lately. He had finally become sick of the oppressive silence (who would have thought? Damn Gryffindor…) and dragged himself into the Great Hall to partake in a meal with the rest of civilization.

Which was a mistake, really, he thought to himself as he took a seat. Students gaped and even the teachers kept shooting him sidelong glances. Dumbledore was the only one who seemed to believe nothing was wrong, though the old codger would probably sip his pumpkin juice contentedly in the middle of a hurricane. Severus attempted to glower the stares into submission, and felt the slick thrill of satisfaction when many of them turned away. The days were becoming mixed together and interminable without his Hermione with him to distract him from the passing of time. He regretted sending her away. What if she did think about it, like he had asked, and realized what a huge mistake she was making? Where would he be then? He had gotten so used to having her around that he honestly wasn't sure if he old go back to the way he had been before. She always had a way of interjecting only a phrase or two whenever he was feeling uncomfortable, and he would instantly be relaxed and ready to greet whatever was holding him back. She was remarkable. And when she returned, he was never letting her leave again.

If she returned.

He shook himself from the dark path his thoughts were taking and tried to focus on something else. He cut into his ham with a glower at the tender meat, and put it into his mouth without really tasting it. When the bell rang a few moments later as he was still chewing, he realized he had come here only to brood in public. A self-suffering sigh preceded his rise from his chair, and he headed for the side door to return to the dungeons when the low clearing of a throat from behind him caused him to turn around. Dumbledore and his damn twinkling eyes were directed toward the door, and against his better judgment Severus allowed his eyes to follow. The fact that his beloved was standing there with eyes only for him made him feel both like a saint and a sap. He headed toward her immediately, the side door still open and awaiting his entrance.

She laughed when he picked her up, ignoring the few remaining students who stared in awe at the expression on his love-stricken face. In a split second the two of them were back down in the dungeons, and for once in his life Severus thanked his double service to the Dark Lord for allowing him apparition skills inside Hogwarts grounds. Her eyes were gleaming as he stared down into them, chocolate orbs of happiness.

"You've taken the time to think?" he demanded with his heart in his throat. She rolled her eyes and pulled his mouth down to hers, ignoring his quickly muffled protests. When she was finished, they were both breathless and she smiled at him.

"Yes, you silly man. And I want you to know I was miserable the entire time I was away from you. It felt like I was far away for far too long, and it's all your fault."

Her pout was quickly recaptured by his lips, and the joy she tasted in them made her giggle. "Did you expect something different, Severus?"

He shrugged, pulling back. "Perhaps…" he drawled carefully, searching her eyes. She huffed and put her hands on her hips in an unconscious imitation of Molly Weasley that made him grimace.

"Severus Snape! Did you honestly expect me to leave you just because some old snots have their own opinions?"

And when she put it like that, all his insecurities faded.

_I love you, I've loved you all along  
><em>_I miss you, been far away for far too long  
><em>_So keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
><em>_Believe it, hold on to me and never let me go._

Credit: Far Away by Nickelback

A/N: Bit shorter, sorry. The next one should make up for it though...still trying to figure out what I'm going to do for _that_ song... =P


	3. My Mama Said

**A/N:** SakuraBlossom...that was my original intention! I'm sorry that the first two seemed connected, but that's just how it turned out...hopefully you'll begin to see some bouncing! =) Thanks for all the awesome reviews! So excited. =D

_My mamma said that the best thing in life was getting me_  
><em>You love somebody higher than anything else in this world, baby<em>  
><em>My mama said she would give her life up for me…<em>

Hermione could tell instantly upon waking in the ungodly early of the morning that it was going to be one of _those_ days. The other side of the bed was despairingly empty, and the pillow was cold enough that he must have been gone for some time. With a sigh, she heaved herself out of the bed and rubbed her expanded belly, breathing through her mouth as a wave of lightheadedness swept over her until she could stand without swaying. She tied her robe loosely around her and headed immediately for the sitting room, where she already knew he would be brooding with a glass of something potent.

"Six years to the day," he muttered into the silent room before she could say a single word. She nibbled on her bottom lip and shifted from foot to foot. He always knew she was there, even when she was especially careful not to make a single noise. She couldn't sneak up on the infuriating man who was her husband of two years if someone had offered her all of Gringotts to do so. He cast her a look out of the side of his eye as she hovered beside his armchair that was both wry and pleading. She wasn't sure which to respond to. "You're going to catch your death out here."

"Yes, I had noticed the inherent absence of warmth…" she responded dryly. He cracked one of the half-smiles she adored, but it was so tainted with depression that she couldn't count it as a victory. She took a breath and plopped her rear on the arm of his chair, ignoring his questioning gaze. Normally she would return to bed and leave him to his brooding, but today she felt like being proactive about the situation. Maybe it was the damn pregnancy hormones, as was her excuse for everything as of late, but she didn't feel like ignoring it this time. She passed a hand over her stomach as she mulled over dozens of things to say.

"There really isn't anything you can say that will make me "feel better", Hermione."

She shot him an angry glance, momentarily forgetting about the problem at hand. "Severus, how many times-"

"Not in your head, darling. Reading your face. You're a bit of an open book," he goaded. It was something he frequently teased her about, often tacking on something snide about Gryffindors and their inability to hide their emotions, but she knew she was only kidding and never let it get to her. She frowned, but accepted his words. He didn't lie to her, and after she found out about the Legilimency he often cast unannounced, it had ceased to be an issue. She shrugged a shoulder.

"Nonetheless. I would like to say _something _that would lead either to you feeling better about the situation-" she didn't pause when he snorted in derision, but raised her voice over him, "-or to you coming back to bed. It's cold, and I'm lonely."

When he didn't respond immediately, she knew playing the old 'damsel in distress' card wasn't going to work. It wasn't often she pulled that one out of the deck, but it was often effective. She slid herself into the space between his body and the chair arm, and since there wasn't enough room it forced him to move himself to oblige her, and left her half on his lap. Physical contact often softened him and gave her a much better chance, which was something she had noted only a month or so into their dating, and something she often used. He sighed in a self-suffering way, and she smiled for a moment before clearing her throat and diving in. "Has it really been six years?"

_My mama said that the worst thing in life was getting used_  
><em>You love somebody higher than anything else in this world, baby<em>  
><em>Knowing you're going to lose it all<em>

There was a long moment of silence in which she feared she might have pushed him into his own head so far that he wasn't going to respond at all, but finally a gruff answer reached her ears. "More like an eternity, really. And at times only a day…"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know it isn't going to help matters to say you had to, because you didn't." He tensed immediately, but she plowed on before the waters could get muddy. "But it did lead you to where you are right now, so I know I for one don't regret that you did it."

The reaction was instantaneous. "Gods above, Hermione!" he exploded as he shot out of the chair. "How could you be so crass as to _support _the fact that I killed my mother?"

Being the full focus of Severus Snape's anger was not something to wish on a person, but Hermione sat calmly in the chair and raised an eyebrow at him. "You did not kill your mother, Severus. You made a decision, and it ended up being the wrong one. You learned from it."

He turned his back and ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath things she was _sure _reflected how crazy he saw her at the moment. She rose to her feet, a hand on the chair arm to help her as she stumbled, and placed a hand on his back. She refused to pull back when he flinched. "Severus, listen to me. You have a wife that loves you very much, and you are about to have a child that will do the same. Who is to say that, had you chosen a path different from Voldemort and spying for the Order, that you would have either of us?"

Another silence was her only answer for a long while. She found the fact that he was breathing at a steady rate a plus, though. Ultimately, he turned in her arms and stared into her eyes, finding her confidence and obvious honesty too much to take. He broke down, sobbing into her shoulder, and she held him and murmured nonsense. It lasted only a short minute or two, but by the end she could _feel _that the demons were gone. He pressed a shaky kiss to her neck, and she rubbed his back.

"Better?"

He didn't nod, or answer affirmatively, but when he rumbled out an unsteady "let's get the two of you to bed" and led her by the hand to their bedroom, she knew that it was.

_And now you're lying there, taking your last breath_  
><em>I'm holding back the tears…Mama don't die<em>  
><em>Mama hold on, give in, let go, release yourself from everything out there…<em>

Credit: My Mama Said by Aqua


	4. Lips of an Angel

_Honey, why you calling me so late?_  
><em>It's kinda hard to talk right now…<em>  
><em>Honey, why you crying is everything okay?<em>  
><em>I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud.<em>

Severus directed his patronus to the proper location and watched it fly out the window, stroking a finger over his lip as he leaned back in his chair. Hermione was sleeping silently a few rooms away. They had been dating (Gods, how juvenile that sounded) for just under eleven months, and she had been sleeping over for six of them. They had been sleeping _together_ for the last four. It wasn't as…smothering…as he had always imagined relationships to be. In fact, he often found himself wondering what all those men down at the bar were complaining about. But then, there were those "once a month" times that could occasionally make him want to rip his hair out. Violently.

The patronus that returned through that same window was nothing like his own doe…this silvery animal resembled a large feline. Something like a lion, he assumed. Then winced, and amended _or a panther, _seeing as how his correspondent was remarkably Slytherin. The purring tone that erupted from the cat was unbelievably seductive, though considering his contemporary's line of work he realized it was necessary. "Come and see me tomorrow, then, and I'll help you take care of your…problem."

He grinned, and started marking essays. There was no way he could go back to bed now.

_Well, my girl is in the next room._  
><em>Sometimes I wish she was you.<em>  
><em>I guess we never really moved on…<em>

Hermione placed a hand on his arm, and he marveled once more at how he didn't feel the slightest urge to pull away. She pulled herself closer to him, against the rush of the people currently flooding Diagon Alley, and he allowed her nearness. Preferred it, actually, as it allowed him to keep an eye on her and temper that niggle of insecurity that always graced him when he couldn't see her. Was she alright? Was she alone? He was a possessive git, sure, but she said it was "cute". Gods.

He drew the line at carrying her bags for her, but he didn't mind when they linked arms as they were doing now. The jealous looks he got on occasion stroked his ego. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he smiled down at her as she yawned. "Want to head back?" he murmured. She nodded sleepily. They _had_ been walking for nearly four hours, he supposed. He was getting weary himself. He pulled them into the next stopping area and apparated, holding her close against him. The moment they arrived back, she stumbled onto the couch and froze. He froze, also, and had a moment of absolute panic.

The woman gracing their quarters looked like she was from a magazine. Her elegant robes were maroon and gold (ironic) and her hair was in ringlets of pure black and fell to her lower back. The wave of envy that hit Hermione both took her breath away and startled her; she had never really been jealous of another woman before, but Gods above was she now. The woman swept her a scathing glance and turned back to Severus, who was still shell-shocked by the fireplace.

"You didn't come over last night," were the first words to break the silence of the sitting room. Hermione felt as though she had been punched in the stomach, and adapted the impassive look she had gained from Severus immediately. She saw him shoot her one last glance before he drew himself to his full height and turned to their visitor, twitching his head toward his office. The two of them adjourned to the next room, and Hermione fell upon the couch immediately and sobbed quietly.

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name, it sounds so sweet_  
><em>Coming from the lips of an angel, hearing those words it makes me weak<em>  
><em>Live and die, never wanna say goodbye<em>  
><em>But girl you make it hard to be faithful, with the lips of an angel.<em>

The next morning, the mood was frosty at the best. He watched her with wary eyes as she breezed around the kitchen, an air about her of absolute helplessness and desperation that he had never seen on her before. He took a deep breath, prepared to extend morning pleasantries, but she stalled him before he could get a syllable out.

"Don't."

His eyebrows drew down and he scowled at her back. "Excuse me?"

"Don't offer excuses. I'm sure your business was perfectly legitimate, and I have no business in yours."

"No busin-Hermione!" He grabbed her arm as she tried to fly passed him, and pulled her squirming form against his. "Do you want to know who she was and what she was doing here?" A raised eyebrow accompanied the question when she didn't answer , and she nodded reluctantly. He had the gall to smile at her. "Her name is Leona Herrand, and she is an old friend of mine." He continued over her open mouth, as she often did. "She is a jeweler in downtown London, and a v eery renowned one at that."

The silence then was both amusing and penetrating. Her mouth gaped with no words, and he chuckled at her expression. "What-why-what would you need a jeweler for?" seemed to be the only thing she could get out.

This was the moment.

He cleared his throat and dropped to one knee, feeling both ridiculous and vindicated. She sobbed instantly, and he rolled his eyes. "Hermione Granger-"

"Yes."

He gave her an annoyed expression that he often saved for his first and second years. "You could have at least let me ask the question first."

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes-" He cut her off with a kiss as he swept up from the floor, and that was the end of that.

Credit: Lips of an Angel by Hinder.


	5. Sunday Morning

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I've been experiencing a lack of motivation lately, but I'm hoping that is gone now! This chapter isn't one of my best, but hopefully you like it anyway. Thanks for reading, and double thanks to those who review!

_Sunday morning, rain is falling  
><em>_Steal some covers, shed some skin  
><em>_Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable  
><em>_You twist to fit the mold that I am in_

The steady fall of rain outside the cottage at which they currently stayed added ambiance to the already uplifted atmosphere. The small place in France they had rented for their honeymoon was perfect for the two of them; out of the way, smallish without being tiny, and quiet without being awkward. At the current time, they were nibbling on various fruits brought to them by the cottage's onsight house elf (Twinki, with an 'i') and laying in their king sized bed. Hermione had informed him it qualified as brunch, seeing as how they had missed breakfast and it wouldn't be lunchtime for another hour or so. She was attempting to lay on his bare chest as she ate strawberries and watermelon, and Severus was in such a rare good mood that he didn't have the heart to inform her she was dripping it all over him. She probably wouldn't mind, anyway, seeing as how she seemed to enjoy making a mess of him and cleaning it up later. Just the thought brought heat to his face, and he cleared his throat and popped another grape into his mouth.

She shifted and looked up toward his face, smiling that smile that he had noticed the first time he had seen her (as a woman) in the pub in Hogsmeade. He could practically feel his own eyes sparkling back at her. Normally it would bother him, but this was a good week for the both of them. There was absolutely nothing he could complain about at this moment in time, laying in bed with the one he loved more than life. She sighed and he felt her warm breath skitter across his chest, chilling him from the fruit juice left behind. He felt goosebumps rise and shuddered, and she looked up at him. He shifted to kiss her cheek and she sighed again, twisting her head in order to kiss his lips fully. He could feel her smiling against his mouth and slipped his tongue between her lips, causing her to moan. It was almost stranger to feel the vibration against his body and his lips at the same time. She pulled away and dropped immediately, licking a path up his chest and collecting the mess she had made. It was his turn to moan now and tilt his head back, raising a hand and tangling his fingers into her mane of hair.

This was nowhere near the first time she had roused these feelings in him, and he often went out of his way to return the favor. Now, he pulled her up by his grip in her hair and unleashed his passion against her mouth once more, tongues dueling like crazy. She fought valiantly for dominance, as she always did, and though he always won he enjoyed her fervor. She reached for the bottom of her camisole and he grabbed her wrists, pinning them against her sides and smiling against her mouth when she groaned in protest. He wanted to do that himself. He always did. He kissed his way down her neck and tongued along her collarbone, and she stopped wriggling in impatience and allowed herself to _feel._

_They both felt a lot more in the next few hours._  
><em>But things just get so crazy, living life gets hard to do<em>  
><em>And I would gladly hit the road, get up and go if I knew<em>  
><em>That someday it would lead me back to you<em>  
><em>That someday it would bring me back to you<em>

He read the evening paper around the lapful of sleeping Hermione that had cuddled into his armchair. Her cat was purring loudly next to the fire, and her breathing was heavy and interlaced with sighs and frequent twitches. Watching her face proved infinitely more interesting than what was going on in the world, and he tossed the paper to the coffee table and wrapped his arms around her. She shifted in her sleep in order to make herself closer to him, and he kissed the top of her head. Life was amazing, just then.

It would never cease to astound him how easily she pushed away the darkness that resided in him. The thoughts and deeds that were like a permanent stain on his soul had been bleached away from the first touch; the first kiss, and the first I love you had nearly brought him to his knees. What had he done to turn his life around so drastically? It had taken him weeks to even accept that she was serious about her affection, and another month after that to let down his guard for the first time. That had been the most intense kiss they had shared up until their wedding, which had flown by without a hitch despite the fact that it felt as thought half the wizarding world had shown. He had been uncomfortable with the thought of Ron Weasley attending, seeing as how the red-head had previously been in a relationship with his wife, but the boy had moved on and married another and caused absolutely no problem. Remus had agreed to be his best man; despite their differences, they had become friends in the years since the war, and Severus had actually allowed himself to be a stone for the werewolf after Tonks was killed by leftover death eaters on a simple auror mission. Teddy was growing so fast…

Snapping himself out of the train of thought he had stuck himself into, he laid his head back and simply allowed himself to feel Hermione in his arms, where he planned to keep her (and she planned to stay) for the rest of their days.

When she woke half an hour later, Severus was sleeping against the back of the chair. She winced at the creak in her own neck, and imagined his would be ten times worse from his position. She could't resist dropping a kiss or two on his upturned throat, and he tugged her closer in his sleep. The feelings he unleashed in her made her feel like a tornado, a hurricane, and a volcano blast all wrapped into one. It was cliché, sure, and he would probably roll his eyes just to hear it, but it was the truth. Earlier he had called her 'his', and she had made a point to counter that he was also hers. She pressed her lips against his bare shoulder, and left them there when his breath stuttered and he began to wake slowly. The moment his eyes opened, she launched her mouth upon his and gave him a thank you for holding her as he had done.

He was only to pleased to return her gratitude enthusiastically.

_That may be all I need_  
><em>In darkness she is all I see<em>  
><em>Come and rest your bones with me<em>  
><em>I'm driving slow on Sunday morning<em>  
><em>And I never want to leave<em>

A/N: Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 (3 3)


End file.
